William morton



No. 6|0,4l0. Patented Sept. 6, i898. w. MORTON, GOLD $AVlNG-APPARATUS.

(Application filed Nov. 29, 1897.) (m Modal.)

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UNITED STAT S Enron,

GOLD-SAVING APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 610,410, dated September 6, 1898. Application filed November 29, 1897. Serial No. 660,160. (No model.) I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM MORTON, a mechanical engineer, a subject of the Queen of Great Britain, residing at 31 Moray place, in the city of Dunedin, in the British Colony of New Zealand, have invented a new and useful Improved Gold-Saving Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.-

My invention relates to the saving of either crushed gold particles or particles liberated from either quartz or other matrix, as from batteries, or the fine alluvial gold particles, as from the various alluvial gold-fields, and more especially the finer gold that generally escapes to the tailings when worked commercially in large quantities. The wash is preferably screened to exclude any portions that would otherwise choke the apparatus.

The apparatus consists of a frame or box, preferably upright, containing zigzag plates or other gold-saving surfaces, usually backed by triangular blocks secured to the front and back of the box alternately, so as to form a zigzag passage the full width of the box and force the gold-bearing wash against surfaces while constantly changing its direction while passing from top to bottom of the box. The gold-saving surfaces are either silvered or otherwise prepared copper plates, matting, plush, or any of the substances usual for saving, and more than one saving material may be used in different parts of one box or passage-for instance, such as matting near the top and copper plates or plush near the bottom-or one of any suitable material used right through. Other than flat surfaces may be employed to effect the same object.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

Figure 1 is an end View of the apparatus with a side removed for showing the arrangements for gold-saving. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the rearward portion of the apparatus, the front being removed,'and thus showing some of the covered blocks in place'andthe opening to tailings. 'Fig. 3 is a diagram of a slight modification, showing a nieans 'of driving or forcing the wash in a similar manner by'means of other-shaped guide-plates.

A is the front, and A is the back, to both of which projections or blocks E, preferably triangular, are secured.

A are removable sides covered with cloth or the like to be water-tight when in position.

13 are clamps, as onemethod of tightening up the wholeby bolts 0 and Wedges D between the sides A and bolts O.

E E are blocks secured to A and also to A alternately, thus forming between them a zigzag passage, andwhere more saving surface is required it is obvious that one or more zigzag plates could be secured from top to bottom between the plates or coverings on the blocks, which could be wider, if needed, thus forming several passages parallel and zigzag, and also, if desired, the blocks may be of decreasing size in a taper case, the larger being at the topand the smaller at the bot tom instead of the onesize, as shown. F are coverings, of metal, on all the blocks, though only shown on some, and are bent so as to slip on and off, as required, from blocks E in endwise direction; 7 j v v F is an arrangement for fixing material, such as plush, to rods or round tods and over the blocks.

F" is a center plate bent to the shape of the passage and would probably extend from top to bottom, thus forming more than one passage, increasing the saving surfaces.

fare cylinders, and f deflecting-plates, in the diagram, showing that difierent shapes of plates effect the same zigzag motion to the Wash in passing through the box.

G and H are the inlet and'outlet, respectively, and may be at any suitable inclination.

It is obvious that as the object ofthe invention is to force the wash containingthe gold from side to side, turning it over and reversing the direction each time, and so on, for as many times as there are covered blocks the exact shape of the said blocks, and consequently of the passage or-passages, is not essential; but it is believed that the most effective forms are set forth, goldbeing retained on the under as well as u er saving surfaces. This invention may be used with existing tables, tail-1'aces, sluice-boxes,

and the like for saving gold otherwise being lost, or it may be used alone.

Any suitable sizes or shapes of blocks or guides, passages, or suitable gold-saving surfaces may be adopted. v

I-Ieretofore and prior to my invention it has been proposed to use an apparatus having barriers or impediments formed of amalgainating-plates in order to produce a whirling or eddying of the flowing current. An apparatus has also been devised consisting of an upper and lower plate having upon their adjacent surfaces angular projections, those upon one surface alternating with those upon the other and arranged at such intervals that a reciprocating movement can be imparted without causing said projections to collide. A sluice-box has been devised also in which a series of amalgamating-plates one above another has been proposed, said plates being corrugated, but the corrugations running in the same direction as the current instead of across the same. In another amalgamator it has been proposed to use insertible corrugated plates between upper and lower plates, the amalgamation being brought about by shaking the lower. Amalgamators have also been used in which oppositely-inclined planes have been clothed with blankets or hides, and

in working over tailings the sides and steps or successively descending portions of the box are often covered by blankets. Amalgamators have also been made in sections which could be separated, anotable instance i of which is to be seen in the patent issued to Thomas R. Jordan the 14th day of October, 1 1890, No. 438,479. I lay no claim, broadly, to any of these features.

Having described my invention, what I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent of the United States is 1. In a gold-saving apparatus thecombina tion with a box or casing formed in two substantially similar, separable portions, each having a series of triangular blocks arranged to alternate with a like series in the other part, an amalgamated plate of zigzag form arranged in the narrow passage formed between the angular faces of the alternating blocks by bringing the two portions of the apparatus together, thereby forming a zigzag, narrow channel on each side of said amalgamating-plate, and means for clamping the two parts of the box, substantially as described.

2. In agold-saving apparatus, the combi nation with a box, or casing, formed in two similar parts, each provided with a series of triangular blocks arranged transversely across itsinner face and arranged to alternate with the series in the other part the two exposed faces of said blocks being covered by gold-saving plates an intermediate gold-saving plate of zigzag form arranged in the channel formed between the two series of blocks by bringing thetwo parts of the box together, thereby forming a narrow zigzag passage on each side of the intermediate plate, removable sides for the box having their interior faces covered with cloth, and means for clamping the two parts of the box, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two witnesses. WILLIAM MORTON. YVitnesses:

HENToN MAOAULAY DAVEY, ALAN GEORGE DAVEY. 

